Reading Terminal Market (Part 1)

[rlibkind]

yeah what was UP with that place yesterday?  i didn't see tons of out-of-towners with convention badges and bags, and yet it was as packed as i've seen it in months.  months!

i don't know why i can't get it together to go in the morning before work and avoid this annoyance; with this baby around i'm up at like six everyday.

←

The RTM was still pretty manageable when I was there between 945 and 1115 a.m. There was, however, a fairly large convention in town, some sort of medical science group. Their badges were quite discrete.

edited to add: at livengood's this week, both at the terminal and the fairmount farmers market that bob goes to: PAWPAWS.  if you see these things again, get them. . . .

←

I missed the pawpaws Saturday, they were gone by 9:45. Dwayne Livengood said they were from his family's tree; there should be lots more next week after Sam Consylman hits his favorite riverbanks. Also, Dwayne pointed out that the chestnuts have started. Autumn is definitely here.

Did you get any of that cider, James?

[mrbigjas]

I missed the pawpaws Saturday, they were gone by 9:45. Dwayne Livengood said they were from his family's tree; there should be lots more next week after Sam Consylman hits his favorite riverbanks. Also, Dwayne pointed out that the chestnuts have started. Autumn is definitely here.

Did you get any of that cider, James?

←

yes, i got a half-gallon of cider this week but i'm a little disappointed in it. it's kind of thin, and doesn't have that crazy tangy flavor that it's had in past years; that is the flavor that i feel is destroyed by pasteurization, but i guess it has to be there in the first place!

in addition right at the end of each mouthful, i get a flash of this dishwater-y flavor i don't much like. but i know that the composition of the cider changes as the season progresses, and i suspect this is just early season cider that i like less. when the winesaps come in it'll be a little more to my liking.

not that that'll stop me from using it (reduced) for a sauce for pork chops later this week...

Edited September 18, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[Bluehensfan]

I see Livengood's has the first chestnuts of the season. Apparently Earl was picking them up in the rain last week...

Also, there's a nice article in the Philly Inquirer about the old/new neon sign that will placed outside of the market:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15510135.htm

[Dorine]

Also, there's a nice article in the Philly Inquirer about the old/new neon sign that will placed outside of the market:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/15510135.htm

←

What good--great--news! I remember the sign from long ago, my newlywed days shopping at the RTM. Just as I remember the injunction to drink buttermilk to ensur a long life actually being over a place where I could sit on a bar stool and order a glass of buttermilk to drink. Or a glass of goat's milk. Who else does?

[Andrew Fenton]

OK, since everybody was so helpful with the rabbit recommendation, how about another: what's my best bet for getting salt pork at the market?

[mrbigjas]

i think dutch country meats carries salt pork. haltemann's carries salted fatback.

edited: actually i'm pretty sure i've seen it over in the cured meat part of martin's, too.

Edited September 21, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[Sartain]

I've gotten both salt pork and fat back from Dutch Country Meats.

[Andrew Fenton]

Yep, I just bought some salt pork from Dutch Country: thanks! They had fatback as well.

And I'm in the middle of eating an Italian special hoagie from Carmen's. It's a very good hoagie, no question about it. (But I still prefer the versions at Sarcone's and Chickie's.)

edit: and drinking apple cider from Kauffman's! So, so good.

Edited September 21, 2006 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

edited to add: at livengood's this week, both at the terminal and the fairmount farmers market that bob goes to: PAWPAWS.  if you see these things again, get them. 

Good advice! I bought some from Sam at the South & Passyunk market this afternoon... so very very good. And yeah, custardy as all getout. Why have I gone so long without eating these before?

[rlibkind]

edited to add: at livengood's this week, both at the terminal and the fairmount farmers market that bob goes to: PAWPAWS.  if you see these things again, get them. 

Good advice! I bought some from Sam at the South & Passyunk market this afternoon... so very very good. And yeah, custardy as all getout. Why have I gone so long without eating these before?

←

I turned the pawpaws I bought Saturday into a quart of ice cream tonight. Read all about it here.

[David McDuff]

I stopped into the market early-afternoon this past Tuesday to do some basic provisioning for dinner. Didn't pick up anything terribly esoteric but I did find:

- Very fresh, flavorful and inexpensive shiitakes at Iovines.

- Some RFG applewood smoked bacon at Harry Ochs, cut from the slab with an ideal ratio between flesh and fat, for $4.99/pound.

- And an absolutely perfectly aged and cared for round of Selles-sur-Cher at Downtown Cheese.

[rlibkind]

The RTM's Sunday hours start Oct. 15. So far, nearly three dozen vendors have signed on for the Sunday openings this fall.

Among the fresh food purveyors, all three fresh fish stalls, Iovines, Harry Ochs, and Fair Food Farmstand will participate, as expected. Among the missing (not counting the Pennsylvania Dutch stands, of course) are O.K. Lee Produce, Godshall's Poultry, Coastal Cave, Downtown Cheese, and Martin's Quality Meat.

The initial Sunday is coincident with the RTM's annual Harvest Festival, which will be held that Saturday and Sunday. Hay rides around the block for the kids, extra goodies for the foodies on Filbert Street (Harry Ochs Way), which will be closed to vehicular traffic, other than hay trailers.

[rlibkind]

I know it's October, but would you believe Earl Livengood featured raspberries this past Saturday?

The price of limes (but not lemons) dropped considerably. Over at O.K. Lee's, a bag of 7 to 10 went for $1 on Saturday; Iovine Brothers was selling them loose at six for a buck. Also at Iovine: Hass avocados $1 each, fresh peanuts in the shell back at $2.49. Bell pepper survey: greens and reds 99-cents/pound, oranges and yellows $3.99.

Mix-and-match: nine varieties of apples at L. Halteman's, all priced at 99-cents a pound. Kaufman's featured slightly pricier Macouns and Winesaps; I found the Macouns lacked their usual snap. Plenty of unpasteurized cider available when I stopped by about 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

On the fish front, headless sardines at Golden $3.99, the same price as headless smelts. Over at John Yi's a fish I haven't seen in a while, bonita; it was prided at $2.50 each for whole fish. Spanish mackeral filets $3.99. King salmon $13.99. Soft shell crabs still around at $4 apiece (slightly pricer per at Golden, but available at that price if you buy five).

Spataro's was scheduled to make the move to its new location today, opposite Tommy DiNic's. (On Saturday they were hanging the new menu signboard.) That clears the way for Hershel's Deli to begin construction at the old Spataro's stand, with the goal of a November opening.

In other moves, Giunta's Meats aims to open this Saturday; no decision yet on whether it will be open on Sundays. LeBus is scheduled to start work this week on its new stall.

This Sunday marks the first Sunday opening of the "test" this year. As of Saturday about three dozen merchants had signed on. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This coming weekend also marks a two-day Harvest Festival, including the Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin contest:

There seems to have been an improvement in the parking rates at the Parkway garage across 12th street. With the RTM discount ($10 purchase), the rates for time beyond two hours have gone down. In the past, if you stayed past the two hours for two bucks max the rates kicked up into the stratosphere. Now their a bit more reasonable: $6.50 for up to 2-1/2 hours, $11 for up to three hours. If I recall correctly, in the past the rate shot up to the $20 range if you stayed beyond two hours.

[rlibkind]

Nearly Saturday-sized crowds at the Reading Terminal Market's first "test" Sunday for 2006. Fair selection of food purveyors open, as well as sellers of other wares and food-for-on-premises-consumption. RTM Manager Paul Steinke said five merchants opened who did not earlier indicate they would be, including the Thai food stand. Jim Iovine hopes that, based on how busy the market was today, some merchants who stayed closed but were "on the edge" of opening will be next Sunday.

Longest line around noontime was at Bassett's Turkey. Other only places selling sandwiches were Salumeria and the Down Home Diner.

Now, if only the Beer Garden could be open and put in a projection TV for Eagles games!

Good turnout today might have been influenced by the Harvest Festival, which included food stands out on Harry Ochs Way (Filbert Street) and free tractor-pulled hayrides around the block. There is a fair-sized meeting starting tomorrow at the Convention Center which might have made the Sunday undertaking more profitable: the National Funeral Directors Association, which hasn't met in Philadelphia since 1950.

The fee per car Parkway charges the RTM Merchants Association for customer parking in the garage goes up by 25 cents January 1 (to $5.50 from $5.25). Customers who spend $10 at the RTM are charged $2 for two hours, so the merchants provide a significant subsidy for shoppers. The association has to figure out whether to hold steady on what the customers pay or increase it; and because Parkway's machines aren't good in providing coin change, the merchants may consider raising the amount customers pay by an even dollar, which would also lessen their subsidy.

As expected, Spataro's made the move to its new location this week, directly opposite Tommy DiNic's. Under their new lease Spataro's has added cheesesteaks to the menu, so Rick's Steaks now has a direct competitor.

Speaking of new leases, they incorporate a new clause, which Steinke says will be enforced, requiring merchants to be open for business and prepared to serve customers until the official 6 p.m. closing time. All too many merchants start shutting down and cleaning up at 4-4:30 p.m. It's probably asking too much for them to stay open until 7 p.m. so those who have to stay in the office late can stop by and pick up something to eat at home, but that's definitely on my wish list.

This past Thursday I picked up those fall raspberries at the Fairmount Market from Earl Livengood. They were spectacular (I served them alongside the chocolate buttercream topped chocolate cupcakes from Flying Monkey). The fall crop had lots more flavor than the summer berries. If he has them Tuesday at South Street, don't hesitate.

[mrbigjas]

There is a fair-sized meeting starting tomorrow at the Convention Center which might have made the Sunday undertaking more profitable: the National Funeral Directors Association, which hasn't met in Philadelphia since 1950.

they would have come back sooner, you know, but business has been dying off....

... but seriously, there's been stiff competition for their convention. Of course it's tough to schedule anything, since they're always late....

thank ya folks, thank ya. i'll be here all week--try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitresses.

[KatieLoeb]

There is a fair-sized meeting starting tomorrow at the Convention Center which might have made the Sunday undertaking more profitable: the National Funeral Directors Association, which hasn't met in Philadelphia since 1950.

they would have come back sooner, you know, but business has been dying off....

... but seriously, there's been stiff competition for their convention. Of course it's tough to schedule anything, since they're always late....

thank ya folks, thank ya. i'll be here all week--try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitresses.

←

I'd love to play bad girl moderator here but it's just too silly...

[rlibkind]

There is a fair-sized meeting starting tomorrow at the Convention Center which might have made the Sunday undertaking more profitable: the National Funeral Directors Association, which hasn't met in Philadelphia since 1950.

they would have come back sooner, you know, but business has been dying off....

... but seriously, there's been stiff competition for their convention. Of course it's tough to schedule anything, since they're always late....

thank ya folks, thank ya. i'll be here all week--try the veal, and don't forget to tip your waitresses.

←

I'd love to play bad girl moderator here but it's just too silly...

←

Geeez, I thought I'd be able to slip that one by under the radar!

[rlibkind]

Receiving the following email from RTM today:

It’s not every day we get to welcome a new business to the Reading Terminal Market, much less a butcher stand.  But tomorrow will bring the opening of Giunta’s Prime Shop.  Owner-operator Charles Giunta, who hails from a longtime family of South Philly meat cutters, is planning a “soft opening” and won’t have his full selection right away.  His specialty will be meats and poultry raised without hormones or antibiotics, plus sausages made on premises.  Stop by and be one of the first to experience our newest purveyor and his sleek new display cases imported from Italy.

[Mottmott]

...Speaking of new leases, they incorporate a new clause, which Steinke says will be enforced, requiring merchants to be open for business and prepared to serve customers until the official 6 p.m. closing time. All too many merchants start shutting down and cleaning up at 4-4:30 p.m. It's probably asking too much for them to stay open until 7 p.m. so those who have to stay in the office late can stop by and pick up something to eat at home, but that's definitely on my wish list.

←

Does this mean that some of the vendors are there after 6? I've never tried going there after about 5- 5:30. It would be a real convenience. If so, Fruit & Vegs? Meats? Fish? Cheese?

[rlibkind]

Does this mean that some of the vendors are there after 6? I've never tried going there after about 5- 5:30. It would be a real convenience. If so, Fruit & Vegs? Meats? Fish? Cheese?

←

The market is not open after 6. Official hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. All merchants (except the Pennsylvania Dutch) are supposed to be open and ready to serve customers during these hours. Merchants also have the option of opening for the new Sunday hours of 9 a.m.-4 p.m. My remark about 7 p.m. is merely "wish list" thinking.

If fruits and veggies are what you want, you can depend on Iovine's to be open whenever the RTM doors aren't locked. If they could I think Vinnie and Jimmie would be open 24 hours a day!

[hathor]

Receiving the following email from RTM today:

It’s not every day we get to welcome a new business to the Reading Terminal Market, much less a butcher stand.  But tomorrow will bring the opening of Giunta’s Prime Shop.  Owner-operator Charles Giunta, who hails from a longtime family of South Philly meat cutters, is planning a “soft opening” and won’t have his full selection right away.  His specialty will be meats and poultry raised without hormones or antibiotics, plus sausages made on premises.  Stop by and be one of the first to experience our newest purveyor and his sleek new display cases imported from Italy.

←

In the words of Fegus Henderson, 'if you find a good butcher, give him a big hug." Butchers are a vanishing breed, show him the love!!

[Mottmott]

Does this mean that some of the vendors are there after 6? I've never tried going there after about 5- 5:30. It would be a real convenience. If so, Fruit & Vegs? Meats? Fish? Cheese?

←

The market is not open after 6. Official hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. All merchants (except the Pennsylvania Dutch) are supposed to be open and ready to serve customers during these hours. Merchants also have the option of opening for the new Sunday hours of 9 a.m.-4 p.m. My remark about 7 p.m. is merely "wish list" thinking.

If fruits and veggies are what you want, you can depend on Iovine's to be open whenever the RTM doors aren't locked. If they could I think Vinnie and Jimmie would be open 24 hours a day!

←

Thanks

[Tim Dolan]

Receiving the following email from RTM today:

It’s not every day we get to welcome a new business to the Reading Terminal Market, much less a butcher stand.  But tomorrow will bring the opening of Giunta’s Prime Shop.  Owner-operator Charles Giunta, who hails from a longtime family of South Philly meat cutters, is planning a “soft opening” and won’t have his full selection right away.  His specialty will be meats and poultry raised without hormones or antibiotics, plus sausages made on premises.   Stop by and be one of the first to experience our newest purveyor and his sleek new display cases imported from Italy.

←

In the words of Fegus Henderson, 'if you find a good butcher, give him a big hug." Butchers are a vanishing breed, show him the love!!

←

Any idea on what the main differences between Giunta's and Harry Ochs' will be?

[MarketStEl]

Any idea on what the main differences between Giunta's and Harry Ochs' will be?

←

Based on a quick swing past Giunta's after lunch today (I'm on a jury), Giunta's is going to sell only certified natural or organic beef and pork from selected suppliers. They have all-natural, grass-fed, corn-finished beef and Iowa Duroc pork, both from Van De Rose Farms of Oskaloosa, Iowa, on display in their cases now.

Much to my surprise and delight, their prices are not that much more than one would pay for supermarket beef and pork. Since I got a 15% off coupon in the mail, I'm definitely going to try some soon.

[rlibkind]

Reading Terminal Market will have a TV in Center Court for Sunday's 1 p.m. Eagles-Tampa game. No huge screen, but at 32-inches it will be enough to keep tabs on the action while shopping.